it's ELECTRIC...
ok, well, i innocently walked into the CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE theater... innocent, calm... i was going to see GODSPELL... sorta harmless...
yes, i WAS concerned that this was, in some way, STILL related to the PAPERMILL PLAYHOUSE production i had seen a few years ago... i did NOT like that production... many people did... i did NOT...
i remember that one of my friend's ACTUALLY got MAD at me for not liking it... i was, like -- it DID NOT move me... it DID NOT inspire me... and the performances, for the most part, were MASTURBATORY...
this GREATLY annoyed him... anyway...
first...
i thoroughly enjoyed walking into the theater... the simple set and the way the place was lit was SOOO appealing... should you end up seeing this production (i DO NOT recommend that you do!)... but should you END UP there... you will ENJOY the pre-show lighting... EVERYONE looked kinda SEXY... it is just THAT kind of lighting... everyone is sitting, wandering and leaning... and the lighting just does GREAT FAVORS...
also, there is a SIMPLE, SLOW dripping of water that comes from the celing and lands in a mini pool on the stage... drip... drip... drip... you can't keep your eyes off of it... DRIPS are usually causes for concern... or action... this DRIP is FEATURED... LIT WELL... this DRIP is HAVING its MOMENT...
cool DRIP... cool people... COOL lighting...
next thing i know...
MY HEAD EXPLODED !!!
i am serious... my HEAD EXPLODED...
i never undestood what this expression meant... but now, unfortunately, i DO... it would be fruitless for me to explain what it is like to HAVE your explode... if yours HAS exploded, you will understand what i am talking about... if not, i can ONLY explain when and why MINE did...
the show started... an URGENT woman walks on the stage and is holding an open umbrella... she is NO WHERE near the DRIP... so it is a GRATUITOUS umbrella-holding... listen, seriously... that is just plain ol' BAD LUCK... why you would want to needlessly incorporate that into a show is BEYOND me... theater people are superstitious... we can't say "GOOD LUCK"... but we can have open UMBRELLAs in shows ?! i mean, SINGIN IN THE RAIN... ok... but GODSPELL, i don't know...
just sayin...
ok, well things were moving forward... nothing great... just ok... when ALL OF A SUDDEN... a pixie, waify, ballerina girl starts to sing DAY BY DAY... who doesn't enjoy DAY BY DAY... it is a sweet song... and has ALWAYS been a lovely GODSPELL moment... all these years later, i was hoping to have someone sing it... well, just sing it calmly and resonatingly... its already a "WIN" of a song... you can't do MUCH wrong...
well, for NO APPARENT reason... NONE... all of a sudden, the WHOLE CAST is doing... i swear... i am not joking...
THE ELECTRIC SLIDE...
the FULL-BLOWN... ELECTRIC SLIDE...
for a LONG time... no IRONY, no REASON...
i thought... WHY? WHAT IS GOING ON? AM I....
then... MY HEAD EXPLODED!!! it was the ONLY appropriate response...
a little later... i was back... i stayed for the whole show... i endured it... when i think back.. i just see FLASHES... i will share them... they are fragmented... random... but they DID happen...
ok...
one
just as the show is about to start... the lights dim... and LATE-COMERS begin arriving... they trample over you... and they are carrying something...
well... these are NOT late-comers... they are the band/orchestra... the band/orchestra sit... scattered... and separate... among the audience... if you are lucky, YOU may sit next to an oboe...
these poor guys can't even hang together... and they are harassed by audience members at intermission... give this a month... this is FORM OVER FUNCTION gone AWRY !!!
two
at one point, they FORCE an audience member to play charades... the girl they FORCED was, clearly, an actress... and she was OVERDOING her CLUE-GIVING... anyway, she was chewing gum in a gross way... and one of the actors IGNORED her clues and kept saying "BUBBLICIOUS"...
ha!!! that was my SECOND FAVORITE PART of the WHOLE show... after the DRIP...
three
during intermission i went to the restroom, no one was talking about the show... suddenly, i heard a guy behind me say "it went REALLY fast"... so i thought... OK... people are LIKING the show...
turns out.... he was talking about the REST ROOM line!!! he was right, by the way!
four
ok, this is ODD... there was one actress that stood out... she was NATURAL, you "felt" her... she sang well... just a STAND OUT... she wore a skirt that was gold... like a gold lame' grass skirt... well, i RAN out of the theater when the cast started taking bows... oddly... iN THE LOBBY... DURING THE CURTAIN CALL... she was sitting on a chair... and WEEPING... there was a lady with a headset near her... she was not doing anything... and there was NO indication of what happened... and NO INDICATION as to why she could NOT be sitting and weeping somewhere else... in private...
again, this was DURING the curtain call... i have NO IDEA what happened to this girl...and the rest if the audience was going to be as SURPRISED as i was about her sitting in the lobby weeping... i hope the HEADSETTED lady eventually helped her... i was confused and concerned... i just wanted an EASY break...
five
there is a CRINGE-Y, CLOYING steve jobs comment in the show... it is just STUCK in there... and it gets corny applause... odd and nauseating.. GRATUITOUS AS CAN BE...
six
is the muscular guy the same guy who played JESUS in the PAPERMILL production... if so... why was he demoted? was it him? the guy who plays JESUS is EXACTLY like the claymation puppet in RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER... the one who wants to be a dentist... only the puppet is way more interesting... why was the muscular, talented guy demoted?
seven
oh, finally, the URGENT umbrella-holding girl sings BY MY SIDE... it is hard to explain... BUT... she sings BY MY SIDE in the most THREATENING, FORBODING, SCARY way... she points at JESUS and seems to be ANTAGONIZING him...
gotta be PEBBLE IN HER SHOE rage !!!
eight
oh and, um, the LAST SUPPER is held around a JACUZZI!
yep...
It seems the greatest act was you - in the audience - keeping still as this mayhem unfolded before you - watching while your head exploded for very good reason, instead of letting the explosion come through your mouth saying "what are you - nuts????"
Godspell seems like an "easy" show - but it is not. I saw a production a couple of years ago where the erred by ending the show before Jesus is resurrected - ummm... what?
Too bad this production can't get it right. It's a cautionary tale - don't tease superstition because you have "Jesus" on the stage. Thank you for "dying in the aisles" & saving us, Buff. You are the BEST.
Posted by: AZ | 10/14/2011 at 04:41 AM
I agree with you about the angry woman singing "By My Side" - she looked very angry. The accompanying vocals were very nice and the harmonies fit the intention of the song very well, but she did have some pebble in her shoe rage. There were some other musical liberties that were weird - strange chord progressions in "Bless The Lord" and it seems no one can get a handle on the 3/4 timed beginning to "Day By Day", though I think that's the arrangement more than the vocalist.
Posted by: J.P. | 10/15/2011 at 08:35 AM
Please learn basic punctuation.
Posted by: AM | 10/16/2011 at 05:21 AM
Godspell is getting standing ovations in previews. I've seen it a couple of times and you're way off.
Posted by: Jim | 10/16/2011 at 10:45 PM
Hello! I turned your blog into a podcast! You should take a little listen!
Posted by: Lance Jonathan | 10/29/2011 at 11:31 AM
http://soundcloud.com/lance-jonathan/lance-chat-7-godspelled
Posted by: Lance Jonathan | 10/29/2011 at 11:32 AM
Wow. Just...wow. It was on my list of shows to see. It may still be. But I don't know that I'll make it back to NY before it closes. I got into NY the night that previews started but I was BROKE and ended up seeing Follies instead.
Glad to hear that even though your head exploded you're still able to blog. :P
Posted by: Cara | 11/02/2011 at 03:57 PM